The present invention relates to electroslag remelting plants employed in electrometallurgy in the production of high-grade steels and alloys by the electroslag remelting of consumable electrodes in cooled moulds.
An electroslag remelting plant is known in the art comprising a stringer with a top and bottom carriages secured to it to allow their vertical transfer. Fastened to the top carriage is an electrode holder with contact plates isolated from each other and from the body of the electrode holder and connected to one of the poles of a power supply source. The bottom carriage mounts a cooled mould under which a base plate is set up connected to another pole of the power supply source and secured on a car provided with a drive adapted to transfer it in a horizontal direction. The electrode holder is adapted for holding in place one electrode and supplying current to it with the aid of its contact plates.
However, in case the above plant is to be utilized for remelting two consumable electrodes connected in series into an electric circuit (a bifilar circuit), the electrode holder adapted for holding in place one electrode must be substituted by one suitable for holding two electrodes, and an electric current must be supplied to them from unlike poles of the power supply source.
The replacement of the electrode holder is a labor consuming operation requiring much time.
Attempts were made to provide a plant suitable for operation with several electrodes connected either according to a single-phase or a bifilar circuit. The plant is provided with a device for shifting a current lead from a base plate to the electrode holder.
However, the above plant requires an electrode holder of an intricate design adapted for holding in place two or more electrodes and fitted with individual clamps for each electrode.